Friday, April 2, 2010

Finally back on track

You may well be wondering where the heck I've been for the past month and a half! Frustratingly enough, my clients were probably wondering the same thing.

As it happened, I had to undergo some unanticipated surgery to correct a rather painful medical situation.

All I can say about it at this point is: boy, am I glad that's over! And, yes, I'm feeling much MUCH better, thank you for asking (because I know you're nice, and I know you will ask).

Oddly enough, there are actually several good things to say about all this:

Thing #1: My two kindly music therapy colleagues went to almost all of my clients (at my request) and let them know that I would be having some needed surgery and I would be out for a little while. And they emphasized the fact that I planned to return.

Thing #2: I have a full-time job. I have good health insurance. I have lots and lots of sick time, because I very rarely get sick (yes, I did just knock on wood). I do not take this fact for granted!

Thing #3: I have two neighbors (both women in their 70s) who were absolutely amazing after my surgery. They checked in on me, they ran errands for me, and they just made sure I was alive and everything was okay. What phenomenal gifts they are!

Thing #4: I discovered that "recovery from surgery" means "lie on the couch and can't do much of anything". Yes. Well. I did a lot of that.

So. Now that I'm back to work, I can also be back to blogging. Thank goodness!

5 comments:

Oh, my goodness! I had wondered where you were. I'm so pleased you are alright now.

Unforseen gaps in the therapeutic routine can be hard for one's clientele sometimes and it is comforting to know that you had colleagues who could go to your people and explain what had happened to you. I'm thinking I should try and put such measures in place.

I was just reading a book to prepare for a presentation I just did on "Taboo Topics in Music Therapy" (more on that in another blog post), "What Therapists Don't Talk About and Why: Understanding Taboos That Hurt Us and Our Clients" by Pope, Sonne, and Greene.

One of the things they talk about is having a "professional will" in case we die. Someone needs to be able to let our clients know, after all. Very thought-provoking read, I must say.

But, yes, what a relief that I was (barely) able to get some word to my clients. Like I don't live with enough existential guilt. :-)

I remember resting after surgery. It was a few days and I was able to get to a place of peace that I hadn't been in a long time. The first time I went back out, I went through a grocery store check out line. The rows of registers were beeping in dizzying syncopation, the magazines and candy seemed all in my face, people in a hurry ignoring each other. I remember thinking, "Man, how do people (we) live like this?"

It's true, Dirk. We don't even realize, as we're running around at our usual frantic pace, just how overwhelming the world can be. Heck..IS! Thanks for that observation.

I know whenever I've been away from work for any period of time longer than a week, it takes some effort for me to get back on track. I've (only half-jokingly) said that, for a period of time, until I get used to all the activity again, I come home and lie in state for a while. Phew!